I love finding simple, everyday ways to live a little greener. I'm not completely overhauling my life – as a college student, I'm more concerned with figuring out what to do with it – but every little eco-conscious bit helps. Get ready to get in on the green.

Frigid Gal: An Open Call for Heating Help

As I type this, I’m wearing fleece sweatpants, two pairs of socks, fuzzy slippers, a t-shirt, a sweatshirt, and a polar fleece zipped up to my chin. And I’m freezing.

Hang on, let me go grab a blanket.

My roomies and I do not turn on our heat. When we moved in a few months ago, I kept running to turn off the thermostat as soon as I heard the heat kicking on.

“What are you doing??” I cried. “It’s September! Put on a sweatshirt!”

I was the crazy, mean, anti-heat roomie. One girl nicknamed her room “The Icebox.”

Heating this old, big (eight-bedroom) house with tons of poorly-insulated windows would be a huge waste of energy and ridiculously expensive. The bright yellow “Energy Guide” tag on the gas furnace proclaims a mere 80.0 AFUEs on a scale of 78.0 (least efficient) to 96.6 (most efficient). And so it remains unused.

We’re also renters, so replacing the furnace or adding insulation to the house would be up to the landlord. We could pressure him to work on the house’s energy efficiency, but for now, let’s focus on the short-term issue…

Several of my roomies – four of the eight of us, I believe – have purchased space heaters for their rooms. I now feel ready to give in and defrost my room (and my fingers and toes) in one way or another.

Should I go for a space heater? Which type or brand would be the most energy efficient, eco-friendly, effective, and gentle on my college student budget?

– small and easy to use (just plug in?)
– heats the whole room (10′ x 10′, give or take)
– under $100
– won’t burn my house down

I’ll continue clicking around and reading about my options while I eagerly await some informed tips! I really have no clue, so give me all you’ve got. Also let me know about other options that might be better than a space heater.